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THE NEED FOR SPEED: ROLAND DG LAUNCHES ITS FASTEST PRINTERS TO DATE


WITH THE DEMAND FOR GREATER PRODUCTION SPEEDS ON THE RISE, ROLAND DG HAS RESPONDED BY OFFICIALLY RELEASING THE TRUEVIS XP-640; ITS FASTEST LARGE FORMAT PRINTER YET. WITH SUCH A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT, ROLAND INVITED ASSISTANT EDITOR, BENJAMIN AUSTIN, TO THE TEMPLE OF SPEED, MONZA CIRCUIT IN ITALY FOR A SPECIAL LAUNCH EVENT.


production pace of up to 80sq m/hr; making it twice as fast as previous models. Paul Willems, director of business development and product management,


spoke at the event to explain how the company has developed the hardware. He said: “It looks like a TrueVIS but it has been redesigned from the ground up to give speed and performance without compromising on quality. “We have introduced new print head technology in a staggered setup but we


have kept the strong elements of the TrueVIS platform so all the features have been maintained but made a lot faster.” Going deeper into the F1 analogy, Paul also explained improvements made


Assistant editor, Benjamin Austin, with BWT Alpine’s F1 car on display at the Roland event


The large format print world is highly competitive with manufacturers constantly trying to outdo one another. Innovation is forever driving these companies, as they push to make their latest products the best in the business. Standing still is almost a sign of going backwards in this volatile market so the only way to stay competitive is to improve. A good analogy would be Formula 1. Teams of engineers are always looking


for ways to make the cars lighter, faster, more aerodynamic, and better than the rest of the pack.


A fitting comparison and one that hasn’t been missed by Roland which even has a business relationship with F1 team BWT Alpine. The company drove this analogy home when, in January, it invited more than 300 guests to a launch event at Monza Circuit in Italy for its newest printer, the TrueVIS XP-640.


LITTLE CHANGES GO A LONG WAY The XP-640 is the latest model added to Roland’s inkjet printer series, taking over the mantle from the VG3.


It has been designed with speed in mind with Roland boasting it can reach a 14 | February/March 2025


beyond the printer’s setup. “Like with any innovations we try to upgrade any component. “The improvement of heat and the reduction of inks means less outgassing is needed so whatever comes off the printer at any moment is ready to use. “The new TrueVIS TH inks also have two colour configurations in the products: double CMYK which can reach speeds of up to 80sq m/hr, and a new eight-colour gamut composed of CMYK with white, black, green orange and now red.” Speed is the key element to this new printer with Roland looking to produce one of the fastest machines on the market. That’s why the company chose Monza as its launch location; it is known as the Temple of Speed after all.


STAYING AHEAD OF THE PACK But it also shows the company is reacting to the latest demands from the print industry and is looking to keep up with the fast-paced demand. Andrew Oransky, Roland’s managing executive officer of global sales and


marketing, said: “What we’re seeing as a trend is the square metres of print output continues to rise faster than the rate of machine placements. “What that indicates to us is print providers are looking for a solution to produce more output with the same amount of equipment so this XP addresses this trend in a way we haven’t been able to before. “The XP-640 fits a place in the market that fits our customers’ needs that we


have perhaps missed and we are very excited to reach the customers who have been asking for this product.” Paul continued: “Speed hasn’t always been on our forefront but now it shows


we want to commit to our customers. “Our classical applications were with customers who would use us for our


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